6 Important Things to Know about Quinoa

6 Important Things to Know about Quinoa

Eat healthy food, drink lots of water, do some exercises, sleep early and for the needed amount of hours; these are all different tips that you will receive if you decided to transfer your lifestyle to a healthier one and decided to ask a professional person. These are different important needs that your body will ask you for, but it is always important to dig deep behind such info to be more aware of the things you are exposing yourself to, such as the case with quinoa and knowing more about some of the things that should be considered regarding eating it.

Choices are different even when it comes to the healthy food options that you should make because people are always different and one thing might not be considered delicious for one person but might be the best when it comes to another. To try the food that you are going to turn healthy with is the second step coming after knowing more details about it; how it could be eaten, its nutritional value, the calories it might carry, etc.

Different Things to Know about Quinoa

Your body might not accept quinoa and this will always go back to the nutrients and minerals that it carries; you might be suffering from a specific type of allergy that could stop you from eating specific food types, so this is the first step you should consider; knowing more about quinoa and the nutrients and minerals combined in it to form this seed at the end.

When you know that you are safe to consume quinoa and that there aren’t any side effects which you might face, there are several other important things to consider about quinoa in general, things that might be related to its preparation phase, it nutritional facts, the different ways it could be cooked through, and so on, and that is the main purpose of this article: to keep you informed with the important information related to quinoa.

In order to know what you are eating and get the chance to know what your body will gain, these are the things you should know about quinoa:

Never Ever Forget about the Preparation Phase

Quinoa comes in packages; some brands mention that these seeds have already been through the preparation phase, while others don’t even mention this part, but in both cases it is always considered better to go through this stage and never forget about it, which is washing those seeds before the cooking phase.

Quinoa should be washed and rinsed with water and this goes back to the saponin coat that covers it and which is believed to protect those seeds from insects, this saponin coat make the seeds taste bitter and thus will need to be rinsed thoroughly to get rid of this bitterness.

In order to rinse the seeds, all you will have to do is place them in a fine mesh strainer under the water for a couple of seconds, offer a little bit of help with your hands, and then remove them from there. Once you bring the seeds from under the water, you should better taste one of them in order to make sure that they are not bitter anymore before moving forward with the next step which is the cooking phase because once cooked, you can’t go back.

Know More about Quinoa Nutrition

You will never get the chance to know about the different benefits of quinoa if you are not aware of the nutrition facts related to it. Talking about nutrition facts means that we have to mention the nutrients and minerals that those seeds carry and which are the reason behind considering it healthy and behind the different benefits delivered to the body.

Quinoa has a very high protein content making it a cholesterol and fat free source of protein for most vegetarians out there. Coming next after the protein, we should mention the fat content in quinoa; quinoa is low in fat but it does carry a small amount as a seed. Calories in quinoa are relatively low and this might be the main reason why a lot of people consider it healthy and why they could depend on it in order to lose weight; the thing is that the fats that are added to quinoa through the other ingredients cooked with it are the main reason why you should always watch out for your recipes, they might be adding a lot to your body.

In addition to that, quinoa is also a good source of iron, fiber, magnesium, carbohydrates, calcium, potassium, sodium, and zinc, which every single one of them might be responsible for a specific task inside the body of the human being.

Cooking Quinoa is a Quick Process

Quinoa will not only provide your body with different nutrients and minerals from which you are going to gain several benefits, but it will also give you the chance to prepare a healthy and nutritious meal in a short period of time that might not take more than 25 minutes in total.

All you will need in order to cook your quinoa is one cup of uncooked quinoa, olive oil (which is considered optional), two cups of water or broth, and half teaspoon salt. You will start with toasting the quinoa in a saucepan; over medium high heat, you will heat a drizzle of olive oil and add quinoa to it then cook through stirring for about one minute. Add the water or the broth to the quinoa, as well as the salt, and bring them to a rolling boil. Now lower the heat and cook while the quinoa is covered for about 15 minutes. When those 15 minutes pass, you will remove the pot from the heat and let the quinoa stand while covered for another 5 minutes. Your quinoa is now ready, all you have to do is fluff the quinoa seeds in order to separate them from one another and then enjoy the dish that you have prepared for your healthy self.

The cooking process is easy and in order to make sure that your quinoa is cooked correctly, you should realize that there aren’t any liquid remains in the bottom of the pan; the water should be all absorbed. If your quinoa is still a bit crunchy, you should return it to the pan one more time and cook it for five more minutes over low heat.

There are Different Types of Quinoa

You might be only aware of the three different types of quinoa which you might be exposed to in the supermarket every time you decide to buy it, which are the red, black, and white quinoa types, but you should actually know that quinoa comes in about 120 varieties, and this is according to the Whole Grains Council.

Those three different types of quinoa which are mostly found in the supermarkets are usually used differently; the red quinoa is the one mostly used in salads because it holds it shape better, while the black quinoa has an earthier and sweeter taste that’s why it might be used in other dishes and recipes. Generally speaking, the white quinoa type is the one mostly used.

Quinoa is not a Grain

For some people, this might be considered a surprise because most of them considered quinoa a grain since it is usually prepared and cooked in the same way, but actually it isn’t. On the other hand, quinoa is also not considered a seed but is usually referred to as one because the part that is actually eaten is the seed, which is cooked like rice and thus is always considered gluten free.

Quinoa is a flowering plant in the amaranth family (Amaranthaceae) and it is usually closely related to the edible plants like beetroot, spinach, and amaranth. Quinoa appeared thousands of years back and it originated in the Andean region or Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, and Chile.

There are Different Quinoa Benefits to Look up to

There are different quinoa benefits to get introduced to in order to know what this seed will provide your body with. We have already mentioned the nutrients and minerals that quinoa carry, so you should be forming a picture inside your mind about the general benefits that you will eventually receive.

First of all, you have to know that quinoa has antioxidant properties that protect the heart, the kidney, the lungs, and the pancreas against oxidative stress. These antioxidants found in quinoa are phenolics, polyphenols, and anthocyanins. Although some of the benefits focused on are related to being rich with protein and being gluten free, knowing about this antioxidant benefit is also important.

Quinoa is high in protein which is important to mention, but in addition to that, we have to say that this importance also goes back to being a good source of amino acids since it carries the nine essential amino acids. Quinoa is also beneficial because it is high in calcium, good source of magnesium, as well as other nutrients and minerals mentioned above.

From the critical benefits for Quinoa that we have to shed the lights on is the ability it carries in regulating the glucose levels and the blood cholesterol level. Quinoa could also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease which is believed to go back to the high quality of proteins and carbohydrate that it carries, along with the omega-3 and antioxidants. And finally, the fiber content in quinoa is important because it is good for the digestive system and at the same time, reduces the risk of gallstones.

These are different important benefits related to quinoa which should be mentioned and which are delivered through the nutrients and minerals that those seeds carry.

Getting introduced to the history of the food type you are eating is one of the different initial steps to consider when being introduced to something new in order to make sure that your body will be safe to eat it. Quinoa is a beneficial seed that you will gain several benefits from but you have to know more about the preparation phase, the cooking instructions and steps, as well as know more about the types that are found there and the benefits they might be carrying.

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Know about Quinoa

Quinoa is a species of the goosefoot genus (Chenopodium quinoa), a grain crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal, similar in some respects to buckwheat, rather than a true cereal, as it is not a member of the true grass family. As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such as beetroots, spinach and tumbleweeds.